Diana Springall, who has just been awarded an MBE for services to arts and crafts, is one of Britain's most respected textile artists, teachers and champions of embroidery and I am delighted to have been invited to her home to look around her amazing collection of embroidered pieces and record this podcast episode with her. She has dedicated her life not only to creating extraordinary embroidery, but also to ensuring that the rich history of British stitch is preserved for generations to come.

Diana is also a collector of the work of other embroidery and textile artists. Over many decades she has assembled what is widely regarded as one of the world's finest collections of British embroidery and stitch-based textile art, a collection that began simply because she wanted inspiring examples to show her own students.

Now, that remarkable collection is destined to find a permanent home at the Sunbury Embroidery Gallery, which has ambitious plans to become a national centre for embroidery, with exhibition spaces, workshops and study facilities dedicated to celebrating this wonderful craft. Planning permission has been secured, but fundraising continues to make that vision a reality.

When I visited Diana at her beautiful home in Kent, I found someone who was incredibly welcoming and generous with her knowledge and time and whose passion for embroidery, education and community remains every bit as inspiring today as it has throughout her remarkable career.

If you've enjoyed hearing Diana's story and would like to learn more about the Sunbury Embroidery Gallery and its plans to create a permanent home for her internationally significant collection, you'll find details below. It's a project that deserves the support of everyone who cares about the future of embroidery. If you'd like to make a much needed and appreciated donation to the building fund via, then you can contact the management team directly via email at [email protected] or by calling 01932 788101. They can provide the charity’s direct bank details for a secure BACS/bank transfer donation. Alternatively, we can also supply bank details to you directly - please drop us a line at [email protected].

You can view The Diana Springall MBE collection at https://dianaspringallcollection.co.uk/

School of Stitched Textiles www.sofst.org